Question: Baal HaSulam says that if we don’t keep the balance between the forces of receiving and bestowal, nature punishes us. Why should people be punished if they don’t know anything about it?

Answer: It isn’t “punishment” in the usual sense, but rather the way a person is evoked to self-correction. On the levels of the still, vegetative, and animate nature, the “punishment” is the correction itself. On the other hand, on the human level the punishment is the awakening, the push so that a person will hasten his correction in “I shall hasten it” and not in “it’s time.”

In the meantime we develop according to the first three levels—the still, vegetative, and animate—and our development is a natural, instinctive process, which we call “according to schedule,” “in its time,” according to the plan. Kabbalists knew in advance the approximate dates of the different phases, but starting from the 15th century, the wisdom of Kabbalah became part of this as it was meant to speed up the process. Since then, part of humanity continues to receive “ordinary” blows and problems that lead to scientific, technological progress, while another part began to receive special blows, that are intentional and by which people are evoked and turn to the wisdom of Kabbalah. This awakening started from the Baal Shem Tov who actually opened the gates to the internal work for the Jewish people and founded its principles for the future generations. He didn’t write anything, but he disseminated the method to an unprecedented extent. He was an exceptionally practical man, considering the conditions in his time.

It was the Baal Shem Tov who initiated the study of the wisdom of Kabbalah for the masses. He had power that was given to him from Above, of course, to insert the sparks into the devastated nation that had been through troubles such as poverty and pogroms in Eastern Europe. He organized people and built a general network among them. He began to reveal to them the structure of the spiritual reality: the five worlds, Sefirot, Partzufim… then TheBook of Zohar became accessible to the masses, which again was an unprecedented event. It was possible for the Hasidim to keep it on their bookshelf since the wisdom of Kabbalah was not forbidden anymore.

The first students of the Baal Shem Tov were great Kabbalists. They founded Hasidic movements and wrote books that the people could accept. These books, which are written in a very emotional, beautiful language made people accustomed to the internal work.

It isn’t by chance that Baal HaSulam thinks very highly of the Baal Shem Tov; after all, he started a true Kabbalistic revolution and opened the door that used to be locked for all those who are interested in it. He himself is still a mystery; we can talk about his actions but not about him.

His students carried on his work, each according to his character, and eventually all the Hasidic movements made a great step towards the fulfillment of the wisdom of Kabbalah among the people. People began to respect the spiritual attainment, the self-annulment and the love of others. Concepts such as “Love thy friend as thyself,” and “Worship the Lord with joy” became part of life. It was a time of very intensive internal work.

Only two hundred years later there was a descent, when the Hasidic movement became a “ritual” and the internality became externality again.

If we come back to the question, we are concealing the facts from ourselves; we don’t want to hear about them, and the moment we forget about the spiritual work, we are immediately back in our corporeal work. Here the ego that controls us operates and it conceals even the slightest connection with the Creator from us; it conceals His actions, His existence. We don’t want to know anything about Him.

It isn’t by chance that this concealment is so great; it builds the space for a person to stabilize himself. On the other hand, he is reminded of what’s important and is evoked and brought to the group. This process will gradually spread all over the world, but first there is the period of darkness, which is the basis upon which a person should build himself in the future.[84557]From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 8/02/12, “Introduction to the Book of Zohar”

Answer: This methodology generally is not going to change. Possibly, its first part will be reducing because man will internally start to agree and understand what it is.

That is why, supposing, instead of ten lessons of an introductory course, only half an hour would be enough and maybe even less than that, since all of these facts will already “live” inside of people. They will already be feeling that egoism is evil and we have no way out, we cannot alter this world, it is simply not in our hands.

Meaning that they will come to such a state where they will actually want to hear something serious. And then from their internal disappointment, the feeling of complete hopelessness, they will be able to value what we are teaching them, where all of this comes from, what all of this is coming to, and what is the general picture of the world, integral and discrete simultaneously, consisting of small pieces.

Subsequently, it is these people, who will become the teachers of humanity.[84145]From the Virtual Lesson 7/15/12

We are all connected since one cannot be impressed without the others. Suppose I lack two Sefirot in order to complete the full ten Sefirot, and I am totally closed, feel absolute darkness. If I add the attributes that I need, everything is suddenly revealed and lit up.

It is enough to include one item that is missing in the system and it immediately begins to operate, although it is one of a thousand identical items. If the collective impression reaches the necessary level of connection, it determines our next level, the new height.

At a very high point a large number of desires should connect in greater mutuality, in a great collective impression by the Light. What is this collective impression made of? They are impressed by the connection between them, by their unity and the benefit they receive from this mutual cooperation. Everyone gives life to others: the Light of Ruach.

None of us has this Light; it is created as a result of our connection. It is the Creator (Boreh) that we reveal, this is why we call Him “come and see” (“Bo–reh“).

Life is created by the connection of dead cells. If they connect correctly, they suddenly come to life. There is a certain force from the inside that spurs them to life, but in itself it is invisible. We discover this upper force only if we “come and see” the Creator between us.

I hope that during the workshops you will begin to discover this inner impression in the connection between you. The words themselves are meaningless; the key is the action of the Light that Reforms. The story itself only inspires to connect, to search but not more than that.

We want to attain the impression by the connection. This excitement is called Light that will flow between us in this correct connection, in a circle. Then this circle will turn into a mechanism that generates the Light, life!

We, being so different from one another, connect into one system, like in an electric schema with a cable, a resistor, a magnet, and a battery that generates voltage in a circuit. If all parts don’t connect with the others, the system doesn’t work. When this chain is connected correctly, it begins to generate the force of life in it. We begin to discover that there is life in it: the Light of NRNHY!

The general Light of NRNHY is the Creator, “come and see,” the upper Sefira, Keter. When we attain life, we attain its source within them, the element of life called the Creator. He is revealed in the system, in the right connection between us.

This is what I expect from the workshops and we will reach that gradually. In the meantime, we tend to forget this and discuss different theoretical things. But with the help of the passages that I read, I want to bring you to the emotional impression. Sometimes I ask a theoretical question, but in any case I expect you to connect. This is the only outcome of the workshop—to what extent we managed to connect by the process we have been through.[84429]From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/30/12, TES

Question: Should the integral family courses be taught differently to men and women? After all, these are two different forces.

Answer: Here, there is no distinction. For the first time we are coming to equality in the world, when all are equal. In the system of integral upbringing, everyone studies on equal terms: a child, an adult, an elderly person, a husband and a wife, a man or a woman, married or single. The most important thing is to have someone opposite you with whom you can work.

In a family we have such a partner naturally, and thus we have to start this education from the family. It would be good if every family started feeling a great need for this. The problem is to convince people who aren’t capable of it, who don’t want it, aren’t interested, and who think that through this, someone invades their territory or interferes with their private relationships.

Therefore it is necessary to explain from the very beginning that this method doesn’t imply airing their “dirty laundry.” We don’t touch this at all and don’t try to find out what’s happening between them in their family. We don’t persuade them to make concessions to each other, don’t ask about the past, and in general, don’t consider anything that happened until this moment. We teach them how to rise above everything from this point onward and how to never go poking around in that dirty laundry again.

Question: This is interesting because in other, conventional psychological courses, I was told many times that it’s necessary to talk about our problems and to let off steam. And indeed, this brings relief and takes a load off one’s heart.

Answer: But this is only a temporary relief, for some time, like reconciliation after tears. We really don’t need to rummage through our crimes against each other. After all, it is written that “love covers all sins,” and the greater these sins, the higher and greater will the love be when we rise above them. It turns out that these sins are actually helping me build love. And if they aren’t there, love won’t be strong either.

Thus, the sins need to remain. But it doesn’t mean that I must constantly remember about them—they will reveal themselves on their own, don’t you worry about that. However, I don’t stifle them, don’t release tension, but accept everything as is. I have a full wagon laden with my partner’s transgressions, but I cover this entire mountain with my love and come closer to him or her. And then my love becomes enormous, growing above all this heavy load.[84372]From a TV Program “A New Life” 7/11/12